NCT07441343

Effects of Polyphenol Supplementation and Exercise on Physical Performance in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Feasibility Trial

Recruiting now NA Last updated 24 February 2026

What this trial tests

NA trial testing Polyphenol Rich-Extract in Sarcopenia in 40 participants. Currently enrolling.

Timeline

1 September 2025

Primary endpoint
1 June 2026

1 June 2026

Quick facts

Lead sponsor	Dr. Chris McGlory, PhD
Phase	NA
Status	Recruiting now
Study type	INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation	randomized
Design	parallel
Masking	triple
Primary purpose	basic science
Enrollment	40
Start date	1 September 2025
Primary completion	1 June 2026
Estimated completion	1 June 2026
Sites	1 location across Canada

Drugs / interventions tested

• Polyphenol Rich-Extract
• Maltodextrin (Placebo) — full drug profile →
• Resistance Band-Based & Aerobic Stationary Cycling Exercise

Conditions studied

• Sarcopenia — all drugs for Sarcopenia →
• Aging — all drugs for Aging →
• Frailty — all drugs for Frailty →

Sponsor

Dr. Chris McGlory, PhD

Who can join

60 and older, any sex, with Sarcopenia or Aging. Healthy volunteers can join.

What's being measured

Primary outcomes are the specific endpoints the trial is designed to prove or disprove.

• Feasibility of Retention
  Time frame: 18 months, 12 weeks
  Retention is expressed as the percentage of participants who completed baseline testing, the 12-week intervention, and post-testing visits, relative to those who completed baseline testing but did not finish. Success is defined as at least 75% (≥30 of 40) completing the study while maintaining adherence above 75% for both exercise sessions and supplementation.
• Feasibility of Recruitment
  Time frame: 18 months
  Number of participants recruited. Success is defined as recruitment of 40 participants across 18 months.
• Leg Extensor Strength
  Time frame: -1 week, 6 weeks, 12 weeks
  Change in leg-extensor peak torque measured by isometric dynamometry in Newton meters (Nm).

Sponsor's own description

After approximately age 40 years, individuals experience a natural loss of muscle mass, strength, and physical function that is linked to higher risks of falls, disability, loss of independence, and mortality. These losses can also be a precursor to the development of frailty, which includes factors beyond impaired physical function such as cognitive impairment, psychological disorder, increased likelihood of hospitalization, need of long term-care, and mortality. Structured exercise-encompassing both resistance and aerobic training-is widely recognized as an effective lifestyle intervention for improving muscle health, cardiovascular capacity, and overall physical function in older adults. However, aging is accompanied by chronically elevated systemic inflammation, and although exercise remains highly beneficial, older adults exhibit a heightened inflammatory response to training and a diminished capacity for post-exercise recovery.

Polyphenols, a group of naturally occurring bioactive compounds, have been shown to possess both anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits, positively impacting recovery and health. Polyphenol supplementation, particularly when paired with structured exercise, may elicit synergistic improvements in physical performance through combined effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and muscle recovery, making polyphenols a compelling adjunct strategy for mitigating sarcopenia. In pursuit of refining strategies that support healthy aging and preserve functional capacity in older adults, this study aimed to determine the feasibility of implementing a 12-week resistance and aerobic exercise program combined with dietary supplementation in older adults.

Participants will either consume a polyphenol blend or a placebo control of maltodextrin daily whilst undergoing 12 weeks of supervised resistance and aerobic exercise. Additionally, this study will test the hypothesis that polyphenol supplementation will augment the exercise-induced improvements in physical function and muscle health. Further, exploratory analyses of skeletal muscle biopsy and venous plasma samples will aid in elucidating the potential geroprotective effects of polyphenols at both cellular and molecular levels.

Publications & conference data

No peer-reviewed publications indexed yet for this trial.